My Switch Kites have bad quality if i compare to my old RRD, Naish and Flexifoil. Depowerline sucks, bar suck's. It not so high quality on the Metod. The quality is so much better in RRD Religon for a exemple.

Had so much problem with my 7:an if i compare with my old ones.

Fly feeling is super but all the rest suck's. The bag brakes first time I try to lock it. Need to change lines on the bar after 2-3 months because they broke. Broke my depower line a day when I was need to do a QR. Lucky me my friends get my kite before it go away...

So yes you get what you paying for in that case..

Seriously anyone who has even seen the Switch kites knows their build quality is very good. I would assume you are a competitor or retailer who doesnt like their distribution method

My Switch Kites have bad quality if i compare to my old RRD, Naish and Flexifoil. Depowerline sucks, bar suck's. It not so high quality on the Metod. The quality is so much better in RRD Religon for a exemple.

Had so much problem with my 7:an if i compare with my old ones.

Fly feeling is super but all the rest suck's. The bag brakes first time I try to lock it. Need to change lines on the bar after 2-3 months because they broke. Broke my depower line a day when I was need to do a QR. Lucky me my friends get my kite before it go away...

So yes you get what you paying for in that case..

Seriously anyone who has even seen the Switch kites knows their build quality is very good. I would assume you are a competitor or retailer who doesnt like their distribution method

Do you wanna picks on it? Still use my method but with a lot of fixed things on it. And another bar how works good. Not the shit Switch sell... And I like if something get the prices down... Even thinking to a buy another Method now when the price is 25%... Then is it worth it when it going down in pieces..

And if you have ride it you need to agree it not the best bar and som stichts in the kite really it sucks.

No retailers surely equals less access to demoing. Careful what you ask for online buyers.

That being said it would be very interesting to hear from someone who has produced a small company selling kites and what the costs are actually like!

I know a local guy here has stopped, just got too hard.

So what s ya call on the death of retailers and more switch type business models (anyone remember the best story, how the wheel turns again and again). Who wears the cost of demoing kites? This costs someone in the end remember that.

Best are now just like the others. I predict the same for switch, but I may be wrong.

I have been with Switch kites before they were put on the market. I have been kiteing for 13 years now and was a rep for a couple of other brands.

On the meterial note. Switch used the same meterial as the other big dogs on the canpy, leading edge meterial is the best on the market . If you have better send us a sample and we will test it.

Just wondering what you had wrong with your kites and what you asked for, for free to P!ss you off this much to bash a brand.

For people bitching about the bars , what brand out there has perfect everything. It all comes down to personal feeling and likes. Ok next question how many people out there that don't own Switch kites buy parts off the Switch website to fix other brand of kites.. I know at least 6 people in just my local area that do.

I like toytoa you like chevy. it all comes down to personal likes and dislikes. Switch has made a great kite and each model do what they are made for. Method wave, combat wake, Nitro big air/race, element all around kite. If you are not a full wave guy don't buy a method and bitch about too much bar pressure, don't buy a element and say it doesn't just like a nitro . Buy the kite that suits your style and you will love it.

Switch has only been out for a 1.5 years now and is advancing every month on products. Sit still and there will be a new bar sooner or later. There is a new Nitro V2 already, soon to be a method V2 and so on. They have changed the things people didn't like on the first model and advanced it to keep the riders happy ( and yes you will never keep everyone happy)

C Johnson I hope you like your Cabs they are great kites for what they are made for... Just don't put your used kites in the big wash or you will be buying another set of used ones. Your coment on they look like new after a year. Well so do mine because I don't leave them out in the wind after I am done. I put them away dry, I don't pump up 3 kites and leave them on the beach all day waiting for the wind and so on

switch has a specific warranty section on their site (props on this!), just by seeing the reports wouldn´t call their quality bomb proof. Or then i´m lost in the translation about what bomb proof mean

non factoring cost the bar really looks like as being in the lower part of the spec

but in the end too many brands out there selling what is basically the same stuff, at least switch is making an effort to position themselves as different in distribution channel and price.

North, SS, Naish, the big 5 market share is based on the perceived premium their gear carries

Epic got Dimitri´s continuos presence in the forum, kind cool of having this guy around here even if all the pimping could be a bit anoying some times

what i can´t understand is some of the other brands, based on what are they selling their stuff?

in my non educated guess dont think that in 5 years time there will be the same number of brands as we got today, the target is still the same population as always, those +30years old guys, and the worst financial mess ever is still around

Last edited by Tiago1973 on Tue Oct 16, 2012 3:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Well this says something! The topic of "Health of Kite Industry" is now giving props to "Switch". I fly mostly North but I do have a Switch Nitro also and love it differently. I bought it because of raving reviews and primarily the low cost. So I think the Health of the Kite Industry or future of the industry is about to change very quickly. There will always be more people wanting to start the sport and kites need replacing every few years if used a lot and Yes! the designing of kites is very dialed in now. Now the only real changes to the kites are graphics and colors. So my guess is that people will stop paying up to 2k for a 2013 kite when they can still get a new 2011 that is just as good for half the price. Or we will start to see more companies like Switch that eliminate the middle men and bring it to us direct. I fully agree with their business model. I also follow the same model in my business for the past 10 years. I design, manufacture, and sell quality silver jewelry directly to the public at the lowest prices I can. And that is how you create loyal return customers and generate new ones. However, advertising still plays a huge role in the market unfortunately and the big companies ie. North, Cabrinha, Naish will milk it for all its worth until we as the consumers cannot justify the price difference based on quality and design. I'm sure we will see big price drops from the top dogs in the coming years but unless they change their marketing practices, the smaller companies will be even cheaper.

Off the header topic "health of the industry", in response to some of the comments regarding "big" brands vs "small" brands; As a "SUPER small" brand, I can say with conviction that the value of accountability goes a very long way. Every decision is an absolute commitment when its a passion that you eat, sleep and live. Truly a labor of love.

The cost for QC is negligible compared to other overhead choices related to distribution and marketing. QC is much tighter when you make smaller runs, and check everything personally.....

There are plenty of advantages to being a big or small group. My point is just to say that I don't believe size or price necessarily reflect quality or performance.

THANKS! That's probably the first accurate contribution here from someone in the industry who knows first hand.

Westozzy wrote:

Have spoken to a number of retailers over here, and they say that over the past 2 years, SUP sales have kept them afloat. So all your observations on SUPS I believe are correct from a 'coal face' retailers perspective...

Makes sense and glad to hear they found a good adjoining market to keep the factories running so they could still make us the really fun toys.

Ending up as a swich or not thread this one, and is suppose to be about the industry...

Quote:

bomb proof. Or then i´m lost in the translation about what bomb proof mean

One of those "bullshit" marketing phrases - should have bin "solid, but still still might break during normal use" hahaha Nothing like the hype - one brand start with some fancy words for how great it is and then the rest follows... But that doesn´t make the kite isn´t any better...But unfortunately people get immune against that kind of stuff, and then even the actuall good changes looses it´s value...

Kiting is a really hyped business. And the problem is that people find it hard to tell the difference for kite to kite... People I meet find it hard to tell the hype from the actual differences.Let me give an example - all kites are "bomb proof", have "100% depower", "auto relaunch" etc...Well no kite will survive a hard crash in hard stuff (would like to see the warraty request "my kite got smached by a bomb and you clame it´s bomb proof" hehe), NO kite have 100% depower, and automatic relaunch without rider input - no way and no thanks...

But it´s not a easy business for any company - hard cometition, and not easy to come up with something new...

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